Doll or manikin joint



Aug. 25, 1953 F. P. MONAGHAN I JOI FIG.I

NNNNNN OR FRANK P. MONAGHAN BY WiEEd/IMWMWPBMQMW ATTORNEYS Aug. 25, 1953MQNAGHAN 2,649,806

DOLL OR MANIKIN JOINT Filed July 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.? F|G.9

INVENTOR FRANK P. MONAGHAN K m W2 (Ame mi) m (wwum ATT EYS Patented Aug.25, 1953 UNITED j STATES ATENT OFFICE DOLL on MANIKIN JOINT Frank P.Monaghan, New York, N. Y; Application July 19, 1949, Serial No. 105,512(o1. 4s '173 2 Claims.

, molding.

Dolls have been and are being manufactured by plastic molding,.butinall'instances, as far as known, the various parts of the doll must becemented or otherwise fastened together when the doll is assembled. Thisrequires an elaborate assembly procedure and equipment so that the dollsproduced in this way are considerably more expensive than they shouldbe.

Manikins used by artists for models and other purposes are sometimescarved from wood or other materials, and provided with joints adapted togive the manikin a more or less natural or While considerable quantitiesof desired pose. such manikins are made and used, they are veryexpensive to make and in fact the cost is prohibitive for the use ofsuch manikins as dolls.

Another object, therefore, of myinvention is to provide constructionwhereby manikins of the type referred to may be made at a relatively lowcost and at the same time have joints so that the manikin can be placedin any desired position, approximating the positions which the humanbody may assume.

A further object of my invention is to provide a natural movementstructure for dolls, manikins and other figures including joints whichmay be readily manufactured by plastic molding and quickly assembledWithout the use of pins, springs, metal attachment members, hinge pinsor cementing.

An important feature of my invention comprises certain joints for dollsand'the like having structures adapted to provide a swivel joint effect,and additional structures adapted to provide a hinge joint effect, asfor example, like the elbow or shoulder joints of a'person, such jointsincluding elements adapted to be pressed together into a snap-like fitand which will hold'firmly without the use of pins or other retainingmembers;

My improved hinge joint structure in itspreferred form advantageouslycomprises a disc-like or corresponding element adapted to fit in a slot,the walls ofthe slot and the disc-like eleing a swivel action at thejoint in combination with the hinge action, for simulating particularjoints of the human body.

My improved natural movement doll structure includes other features andadvantages as well as other modified forms, all of which are describedmore in detail hereinafter in connection with certain illustrativeembodiments shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisapplication.

In the drawings: 7

Fig; 1 is a broken expanded view illustrating one form of jointconstruction, such for example, a that suitable for the shoulder, elbowor knee joints, in which the parts are separated with respect to eachother and some of them shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to that of Fig. 1 showing' the first two jointmembers at ninety degrees with respect to the showing in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken view similar to that of Fig. 1 showing a modifiedform of the swivel portion of the joint.

Fig. 4 is a broken view showing a modified form of construction for thehinge and swivel elements of a joint generally of the type illustratedin Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of a slotted hinge joint member similar tothat of Fig. 4, showing a modified structure for use in inserting thedisc portion of the hinge joint.

Fig. 7 is a broken'view of one part of a modified form of swivel jointstructure.

Fig. 8 is an assembly view of a modified form of swivel joint structureshowing the position of the element of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a broken expansion View of a further modified form of hingejoint generally of the type of the hinge portion of the joint shown inFig. 4.

Fig. 11 is a broken view partly in section of a modified form ofcombination hinge and. swivel joint structure.

Fig. 12 is a broken view of an arm of a doll or manikin, partly insection, showing the use of the joint structure of Figs. 4 and 5, as anelbow joint, the view of the joint structure being at 90 with respect tothat of Fig. 4.

Fig. 13 is a broken elevational view of the arm of a doll constructed inaccordance with the features of my invention showing the natural-likestructure resulting from the use of the joint structures of my inventionReferring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the joint structure thereinshown comprises elements adapted to provide for hinge action and swivelaction of the joint, such as the actions naturally occurring in variousmain parts of the body, for example, the ankle, knee, hip, elbow,shoulder, neck and other joints of a person.

The elements forming the hinge joints shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprisesa circular disc-like member 26 cast integral with a portion of the limb21 or other part of the body structure for which the joint is intended.The relatively thick disc-like member 23 as shown in Fig. 2 issubstantially circular in contour around most of its perimeter, and isprovided with upper and lower semi-spherical dents or recesses 22 whichare directly opposite each other in upper and lower surfaces of thedisc-like member 26.

The member 23 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 cooperates with a ball-like portion26 of a coupling member having a slot 24 extending through its left-handend substantially fitting the member with respect to thickness andcontour, as evidenced by the showing in Fig. 2. The upper and lowersurfaces forming the slot 24 are provided with a pimple or hemisphericalprojection 25 adapted to fit respectively into the recesses 22 andprovide a pivot connection, the engaging surfaces and pivot memberforming a friction fit so that the parts 2! and 23 may be set at anydesired angle.

When the elements of the joint structure as described are assembled,they have general relationships as shown in Fig. 4, in which theprojections 25 serve as the pivot for the hinge joint. According to oneof the features of my invention, these and the associated structures areconveniently made by plastic molding, and more particularly by themolding of styrene plastics which have been found to be sufficientlyrigid to form an ideal joint structure and which at the same time willpermit of forcing the member 26 into the slot of the member 23 to apoint where the projections 25 snap in and recover in the recesses 22.In this operation it may be that the projections 25 are somewhatcompressed in forcing the member 2t into the slot, and also that the topand bottom portions of the member 23 spread slightly until theprojections 25 engage the recesses 22. In any case, a good hinge jointis provided without the use of pins or other separate retaining members,and the joint may include a stop like element 49 in Fig. 4.

Since many or the joints of the body not only have a hinge action, butalso a swivel action, the member 23, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, includesa substantially cylindrical section 26 provided with oppositely arrangedpimples or projections 21 adapted to engage in an annular recess 28 of alimb or body member 29, the recess being in the cylindrical wall of acavity 33 extending into the end of the member 29. The member 29 isadvantageously made of plastic the same as the members 2! and 23 and theoverall diameter of the projections 27 is greater than the overalldiameter of the cylindrical cavity 36. However, because of the nature ofthe plastic material, par- .4 ticularly styrene plastic, the end 26 maybe forced into the cavity 36 until the projections 21 engage the annularrecess 28. The members 26 or 21 desirably have a friction fit with therespective structures 30 and 28 so that the member 23 may be rotatedaxially with respect to the member 29 to any angular position and retainthat position until changed. The angle of rotation may be limited by themeans shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In pressing projections 21' in the cavity36, they may be compressed to a certain extent, but will recover theirnormal shape in the recess 23 and retain the member 23 in the end of themember 29 against any reasonable pull thereon.

Fig. 3 illustrates a slightly modified form of swivel joint constructionin which the member 23a, having the slot 24a, for the formation of thehinge joint, is otherwise similar to the member 23 in Figs. 1 and 2except that the cylindrical end 26a has an ovaled enlarged head 3|. Thecylindrical portion 25a and the head 31, when made of styrene plasticmaterial is adapted to be inserted into the cylindrical cavity 32 of theend of member 33, in which the cavity 32 communicates with a largercavity 34 to form a shoulder 35. The head 3! is larger than thecylindrical cavity 32 but it may be forced into the cavity 32 to a pointbeyond the position of the shoulder 35 which engages the head andretains the member 23c on the end of the member 33 with a swivel joint.If desired, the swivel joint structure shown in Fig. 3 may be employedinstead of the swivel joint structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. 4, 5 and 12 illustrate a joint structure somewhat similar to thatshown in Figs. 1 and 2 but with certain modifications. In Figs. 4 and 12the joint is illustrated, for example, as an elbow joint in which thelower end of the upper arm member 36 terminates in a ball-like structure31 having a slot 38 like the slot 24 in member 23, the upper and lowerwalls of this slot respectively having opposite hemisphericalcentrally-arranged recesses 39 for receiving respectively thehemispherical projections 40 on a disc-like portion 42 of a couplingmember 43.

The upper end of the lower arm 44 is provided with a cylindrical cavity45, the cylindrical wall of which contains a recess 46 extendingapproximately half-way around the inner circumference of the wall, asindicated in Fig. 5. The coupling member 43 has a cylindrical portion4'! extending into the cavity 45 and a pimple or projection 43 engagingin the recess 48. The cylindrical portion 41 is substantially largeenough to fit the cavity 45 so that when the portion 47 is forced intothe cavity, the projection 48 is depressed, because of thecharacteristics of the plastic material, until it engages the recess 46and serves to retain the coupler 43 in the end of the lower arm 44.

It will be noted that, as shown in Fig. 5, the recess 46 extends onlyabout half-way around the circumference of the cavity 45, so that theswiveling action of the lower arm 44 with respect to the coupler 43 islimited to the are provided by the recess 46. This are is approximatelythat through which the lower portion of a persons arm may be rotated. Adoll or manikin, therefore, having an elbow joint or other jointincluding the features shown in Figs. 4 and 5, will have a structurewhich will permit the lower arm to be moved to a variety of naturalpositions. For example, the dolls lower arm and hand may be swung on thehinge joint up toward the shoulder of the doll, or held out straightwhere a projecting stop 49 of the disc 42 abuts the shoulder 56 on thelower portion of the arm member 36. This position corresponds to that inwhich the arm is straight out but cannot be bent or hinged backwardlybecause of the stop 49. When the lower arm 44 is in its extreme upperposition its upper end enters a recess 56a.

The doll or manikin, the subject of the present invention, is providedwith a skin of plastic or rubber 5|, which simulates human skin. Figs.4, 5 and 12 show how the skin 5| covers the elbow joint structure, andFig. 13 shows how naturally the skin wrinkles inside the elbow joint asthe hand is brought up and the lower arm pivoted on the projections 40of the hinge portion of the joint.

Fig. 6 shows one portion of a hinge joint structure on a member 52, thatis, the slotted ball por tion 53, of the type of members 23 and 31 inFigs. 1, 2, 4 and 12, in which only the lower surface 54 of the slot isshown, this surface and also the upper surface having a centralhemispherical recess 55 for receiving projections such as theprojections 40, shown in Figs; 4 and 12. In order to facilitate assemblyof the parts of the joint, the recesses 55 are continued atsubstantially their depth through the surface 54, and the correspondingopposite surface, to the edge of the ball-like member 53 in the form ofa curved recess 56. When it is desired to assemble the disc-like membersuch as'member 42, the projection 40 may be made to follow the recess 56into the hemispherical recess 55, thereby lessening the pressurerequired to assemble the hinge joint.

Where the hinge joint is assembled in this way, and particularly afterthe skin is applied to the doll structure, there will belittle ornolikelihood that the hingejoints will be pushed apart because of therecesses 56. In fact these recesses, as for example that shown in Fig.6, may extend in a direction substantially opposite to or at rightangles to that upon which any pull or other strain is apt to be applied.

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 show anillustrative embodiment of a form of swiveljoint suitable for use in connection with a doll or-manikin of thepresent invention. In Fig. 7, the male part of the joint, as shown,comprises a conical shaped or tapering member 5'Iextending from the endof a leg, arm or other member 58, the tip of the part 51 having alateral oval projection 59. The female part of the joint is provided ina rounded end 66 of a coupler or other member 6|, the end 66 having atapered opening or cavity 62 adapted to receive the projection 51. Thesmall end of the opening 62 terminates ina lateral slot 63 cutapproximately half-way through the member 6|, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.When the parts are made of plastic material of the type described, themale portion 51, together with the projection 59 on the end thereof, maybe forced into the opening 62 with deformation of the projection 59until the projection reaches the slot 63 wherein it is free to recoverand serve as a retaining means for the member 51.

The structure shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 provides a type of swivel jointwhich may be used in connection with any of the hinge joints describedabove or shown in Fig. 10. It is possible to axially rotate the member58 with respect to the member 6|, depending upon the depth of the slot63, in other words, the angle provided for the movement of theprojection 59, as will be apparent fr m the showing of Fig. 9.

Fig. 10 shows a further modified form of hinge joint structure inwhich alimb end or the end of a coupler 64 is provided with a cylindricalmember 65 having a rounded head, as shown, the cylindrical portion beingcapable of a snap-on connection, with the end 64, as shown. Thecylindrical portion also carries an internal hinge pin arrangement whichhas opposite hemispherical projections 66 extending through the outersurface of the member 65. These projections are adapted to engagematching hemispherical recesses 5'! in the upper and lower walls of aslot 68 of a coupler or body member 69.

In the modification shown in Fig. 10, the hinge operates substantiallyin the manner illustrated in connection with Figs. 4 and 12, except thatit is not necessary, with the structure shown in Fig. 10, to distort theprojections on the internal portion of the hinge, since the projections66 are formed as parts of metal sleeves 10, one of which is adapted toslide. within the other, as shown. A spring H is mounted between thesleeves so as to retain them in their normal positions, as determined bystop flanges 12 engaging the inner wall of the member 65. When themember 65 is forced into the slot 68, the projections 66 are pressed inagainst the action of the spring H, so that they move in freely untilthe projections 66 engage the recesses 6'! and retain the parts of thehinge joint in their normal position.

Fig. 11 of the drawings shows a modified form of combination swivel andhinge joint in which, for example, a limb end 13 is provided with alaterally extended socket structure 14 having a rim cut to provide arecess inside a retaining flange 15, the surface of the flange beingapproximately parallel with the axis of the limb 13. A hemisphericalcover 16, having a similar flange rim 11 projecting beyond a recess, isprovided for engagement with the flange 15 in the manner shown, and toprovide a ball-type hinge joint; When the parts are made of moldedplastics, such as styrene or polystyrene plastics, the cover 16 may besnapped over the flange 15 into locking engagement, since the flange 11engages in the recess formed by the flange 15. Flange 15 in turn engagesin a corresponding recess in the cover 16.

Cover 16 is provided with a notch 18 cut through its rim beyond theposition of the flange 15 and adapted to receive and accommodate thecylindrical neck 19 which is integral with the end of a limb or othermember which is to be hinged and swiveled with respect to the member 13.The neck 19 terminates in a hollow section of a ball 8| which isnormally mounted inside the socket 14 and cover 16 and retained thereinbecause of its much greater size in comparison to that of the slot 18,after the cover 16 is snapped onto the flange 15. The cover 16 isprovided inside with a hook-like stop 82 for limiting the degree ofrelative swiveling of the parts 13 and 80. This stop cooperates with anotch 83 in the rim of the ball 8|, the extent of the notch 83 orcut-out determining the angle through which the parts 13 and 80 may berotated with respect to each other.

In assembling the joint shown in Fig. 11, the ball 8| is inserted in thecover 16 with the notch 83 engaging the hooked stop 82 and the neck 19extending through the notch or slot 18. This assembly is then snappedonto the socket structure 14 with the flange H overlying the flange I5,as shown. The stop 82, together with the position of the ball Bl in thesocket pr vents substantial movement of the ball 8! to right or left.The cut-out or notch 83 may extend through any desired angle, dependingupon the degree of swiveling necessary for the particular joint.

The hinging action of the joint shown in Fig. 11 is obtained by rotatingthe cover 16 together with the neck 19 and member 80 about the flange 75on the engaging surfaces of the sock structure, this rotation, ofcourse, being on the axis of the socket structure which is illustratedat an angle of about 90 to the axis of the member 73. Means is providedfor restricting the degree of rotation or hinging action by providing astop 84 integral with the socket structure i4 and extending into thecover 16 for engaging the neck 19. This stop-may be placed at anyselected location and two such stops may be employed which will engagethe neck 19 when the member 83 is moved to rotate the cover 76. Thejoint therefore may be used as a knee, elbow or other joint in thestructures of figures of the type to which the present inventionrelates.

In making the elements of the various joints, it is generally desirableto make them so that they frictionally engage each other, therebyproviding a joint which may be used to hold the respective parts in anyset position desired by the user of the doll, manikin or other figure.

In the manufacture of certain figures, it is desirable to have shoulder,neck, thigh and body joints, and it is to be understood that the jointstructure described herein may be used in such positions as well as forthe various limb joints.

It is also to be understood that certain of the parts and structures maybe rearranged or positioned so that they may be readily molded fromplastic materials by processes of compression, injection or other typesof molding. While styrene or polystyrene plastics are preferred, othersuitable plastics may be used, such as polyethylene plastics, methylmethacrylate plastics, cellulose acetate and ethyl cellulose.

What I claim is:

1. A molded plastic joint structure for dolls, manikins, and the likefigures, comprising a first molded plastic part having a roundeddisc-shaped end portion, a second molded plastic part having a roundedslotted end portion, said disc-shaped end portion being mounted in saidslot and its surfaces engaging the respective opposite surfaces of theslot, at least one pair of the engaging surfaces including an integralretaining and pivoting means consisting of a projection on one of thesurfaces engaging in a recess in the other surface, said means beingsubstantially centrally located with respect to the disc-shaped end, oneof said parts having a substantially cylindrical opposite end portionhaving an integral projection on OK Lu its cylindrical surface, a thirdmolded plastic part having a substantially cylindrical cavity in one endinto which said cylindrical end is fitted for rotation, the cylindricalwall of said cavity having a peripheral recess in which the projectionon the cylindrical end is retained and in which it is moved uponrelative rotation of the parts, said parts being held together in theirassembled relationship solely by the engagement of said integralprojections in the respective recesses.

2. A molded plastic joint structure for dolls, manikins, and the likefigures, comprising a first molded plastic part having a roundeddisc-shaped end portion, a second molded plastic one piece part having arounded slotted end portion, said disc-shaped end portion being mountedin said slot and its surfaces engaging the respective opposite surfacesof the slot, at least one pair of the engaging surfaces including anintegral retaining and pivoting means consisting of a projection on oneof the surfaces engaging in a recess in the other surface, said meansbeing substantially centrally located with respect to the discshaped endportion, said parts being held in assembled relationship solely by saidretaining and pivoting means, a third molded plastic part having an endcavity therein, one of said firstmentioned parts having an extendingportion mounted in the end cavity in said third part and being axiallyrotatable therein, an integral projection on the side wall of saidextending portion engaging in a recess in the side Wall of said cavity,and means for limiting the degree of relative rotation between saidprojection and said third part, said integral projection in cooperationwith said recess being the sole means for retaining said extendingportion in locked engagement with said third part.

FRANK P. MONAGHAN.

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